Casey Schmitt
@csschmitt.bsky.social
Historian @ Cornell. Author of THE PREDATORY SEA: HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND CAPTIVITY IN THE 17TH-C CARIBBEAN (Penn Press, 2025) https://www.pennpress.org/9781512828146/the-predatory-sea/
Pinned
Casey Schmitt
@csschmitt.bsky.social
· Jul 15
The Predatory Sea – Penn Press
A new interpretation of captivity, human trafficking, and colonization in the seventeenth-century CaribbeanA century before the height of the Atlantic slave ...
www.pennpress.org
There's a discount code for pre-orders!
If you've always wanted to read about sixteenth- and seventeenth-century smuggling, piracy, and human trafficking in the Caribbean AND you love a good deal, use:
PENN-CSCHMITT30 for 30% off. 🗃️
www.pennpress.org/978151282814...
If you've always wanted to read about sixteenth- and seventeenth-century smuggling, piracy, and human trafficking in the Caribbean AND you love a good deal, use:
PENN-CSCHMITT30 for 30% off. 🗃️
www.pennpress.org/978151282814...
So far, my process for starting the second book project has just involved requesting hundreds of books from ILL and ignoring the increasingly aggressive emails about those books being overdue.
That's normal, right? 🗃️
That's normal, right? 🗃️
February 13, 2026 at 3:37 PM
So far, my process for starting the second book project has just involved requesting hundreds of books from ILL and ignoring the increasingly aggressive emails about those books being overdue.
That's normal, right? 🗃️
That's normal, right? 🗃️
Reposted by Casey Schmitt
I’m currently funded by Mellon. Every night my backers leave a little liberalization pill on my pillow, I take it, and then arise each morning to further chill the humanities discourse.
So glad someone finally uncovered this abuse of power.
So glad someone finally uncovered this abuse of power.
February 13, 2026 at 1:45 PM
I’m currently funded by Mellon. Every night my backers leave a little liberalization pill on my pillow, I take it, and then arise each morning to further chill the humanities discourse.
So glad someone finally uncovered this abuse of power.
So glad someone finally uncovered this abuse of power.
Reposted by Casey Schmitt
if someone says their business relies on catapults being built on the moon i dont think we should have to take them seriously or subsidize their business with government contracts anymore
February 11, 2026 at 2:02 PM
if someone says their business relies on catapults being built on the moon i dont think we should have to take them seriously or subsidize their business with government contracts anymore
Opinion Poll:
Should historians organize their own book launches? If so, how? It feels like icky self-promotion in a time when the world is burning, but is it important? 🗃️
Should historians organize their own book launches? If so, how? It feels like icky self-promotion in a time when the world is burning, but is it important? 🗃️
February 11, 2026 at 2:02 PM
Opinion Poll:
Should historians organize their own book launches? If so, how? It feels like icky self-promotion in a time when the world is burning, but is it important? 🗃️
Should historians organize their own book launches? If so, how? It feels like icky self-promotion in a time when the world is burning, but is it important? 🗃️
Reposted by Casey Schmitt
The program for the April 2026 conference of the Forum on Early-modern Empires and Global Interactions (FEEGI) is live. This year is extra special because we've teamed up with the Program in Early American Economy & Society. Join us! #earlymodern #globalhistory #earlyamerican @csschmitt.bsky.social
Conferences
View the 2026 Conference Program here . Register for the 2026 conference here .
feegi.org
February 9, 2026 at 2:35 PM
The program for the April 2026 conference of the Forum on Early-modern Empires and Global Interactions (FEEGI) is live. This year is extra special because we've teamed up with the Program in Early American Economy & Society. Join us! #earlymodern #globalhistory #earlyamerican @csschmitt.bsky.social
Aw, that is really kind of you to say! Thank you!
February 9, 2026 at 1:46 PM
Aw, that is really kind of you to say! Thank you!
Yes, such a great read!
February 6, 2026 at 3:15 PM
Yes, such a great read!
Yes! Such a powerful and moving book!
February 6, 2026 at 2:58 PM
Yes! Such a powerful and moving book!
I know. It evolved out of a shorthand used to critique big block text on websites that has now made its way into the book world.
But hearing it used by a scholar at a conference was too much for me.
But hearing it used by a scholar at a conference was too much for me.
February 6, 2026 at 2:47 PM
I know. It evolved out of a shorthand used to critique big block text on websites that has now made its way into the book world.
But hearing it used by a scholar at a conference was too much for me.
But hearing it used by a scholar at a conference was too much for me.
Yes! I haven't read Bayer, but da Costa's book is incredible.
February 6, 2026 at 2:28 PM
Yes! I haven't read Bayer, but da Costa's book is incredible.
Yes! That was really worth the read!
February 6, 2026 at 2:27 PM
Yes! That was really worth the read!
Ugh, yes, it was something I wish I'd not learned!
February 6, 2026 at 2:13 PM
Ugh, yes, it was something I wish I'd not learned!
Learned about the depressing trend of describing books as TL;DR (Too Long, Didn't Read) at a conference last weekend.
Instead, I propose LR;WI (Long Read and Worth It). What are some long books that you read recently and enjoyed? I'll start: 🗃️
www.hup.harvard.edu/books/978067...
Instead, I propose LR;WI (Long Read and Worth It). What are some long books that you read recently and enjoyed? I'll start: 🗃️
www.hup.harvard.edu/books/978067...
The Tame and the Wild — Harvard University Press
A dramatic new interpretation of the encounter between Europe and the Americas that reveals the crucial role of animals in the shaping of the modern world.When the men and women of the island of Guana...
www.hup.harvard.edu
February 6, 2026 at 1:59 PM
Learned about the depressing trend of describing books as TL;DR (Too Long, Didn't Read) at a conference last weekend.
Instead, I propose LR;WI (Long Read and Worth It). What are some long books that you read recently and enjoyed? I'll start: 🗃️
www.hup.harvard.edu/books/978067...
Instead, I propose LR;WI (Long Read and Worth It). What are some long books that you read recently and enjoyed? I'll start: 🗃️
www.hup.harvard.edu/books/978067...
Reposted by Casey Schmitt
The image of Toussaint Louverture had to be removed because the Olympic committee considered it a "political statement"??
www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-...
www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-...
‘Symbol of the Haitian spirit’: Haiti’s Winter Olympic uniform inspired by history
Haiti’s Winter Olympic uniform is a statement of history and perseverance.
www.miamiherald.com
February 6, 2026 at 11:43 AM
The image of Toussaint Louverture had to be removed because the Olympic committee considered it a "political statement"??
www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-...
www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-...
Yes! And the ties between Puerto Rico and North America are deeper than most people realize. I wrote a lot about how Puerto Rico played an essential role in English colonization of North America.
www.pennpress.org/978151282814...
www.pennpress.org/978151282814...
February 4, 2026 at 1:53 PM
Yes! And the ties between Puerto Rico and North America are deeper than most people realize. I wrote a lot about how Puerto Rico played an essential role in English colonization of North America.
www.pennpress.org/978151282814...
www.pennpress.org/978151282814...
Reposted by Casey Schmitt
🚨History Job: Assistant Professor in Early Modern British History (Permanent) 🗃️
Come work with us at Warwick! You will join a group of excellent early-modernists and one of the nicest bunches of historians around!
👇👇👇
@uni-of-warwick.bsky.social
warwick-careers.tal.net/vx/lang-en-G...
Come work with us at Warwick! You will join a group of excellent early-modernists and one of the nicest bunches of historians around!
👇👇👇
@uni-of-warwick.bsky.social
warwick-careers.tal.net/vx/lang-en-G...
Assistant Professor in Early Modern British History (111286-0126) - University of Warwick
Title: Assistant Professor in Early Modern British History (111286-0126). Application Deadline: . Position Type: Permanent
warwick-careers.tal.net
February 4, 2026 at 11:13 AM
🚨History Job: Assistant Professor in Early Modern British History (Permanent) 🗃️
Come work with us at Warwick! You will join a group of excellent early-modernists and one of the nicest bunches of historians around!
👇👇👇
@uni-of-warwick.bsky.social
warwick-careers.tal.net/vx/lang-en-G...
Come work with us at Warwick! You will join a group of excellent early-modernists and one of the nicest bunches of historians around!
👇👇👇
@uni-of-warwick.bsky.social
warwick-careers.tal.net/vx/lang-en-G...
Reposted by Casey Schmitt
The Utah Historical Society just produced a new, excellent map of "The Peoples of North America in 1776." Great resource for anyone teaching, writing, presenting about Native peoples as part of their 250th work. america250.utah.gov/power-of-pla...
February 3, 2026 at 1:49 PM
The Utah Historical Society just produced a new, excellent map of "The Peoples of North America in 1776." Great resource for anyone teaching, writing, presenting about Native peoples as part of their 250th work. america250.utah.gov/power-of-pla...
Congratulations to @randybrowne.bsky.social!!!
Congratulations to author @randybrowne.bsky.social, whose book THE DRIVER'S STORY has been named a finalist for the Sterling Stuckey Book Prize, granted by The Association for the Study of the Worldwide African Diaspora (ASWAD)! bit.ly/3Qs4ZJs
The Driver’s Story – Penn Press
The story of the driver is the story of Atlantic slavery. Starting in the seventeenth-century Caribbean, enslavers developed the driving system to solve thei...
bit.ly
January 22, 2026 at 4:57 PM
Congratulations to @randybrowne.bsky.social!!!
CEO of unpopular product that has failed to live up to hype begs global community to adopt it anyway or they will go out of business...
AI boom could falter without wider adoption, Microsoft chief Satya Nadella warns
AI boom could falter without wider adoption, Microsoft chief Satya Nadella warns
Big tech boss tells delegates at Davos that broader global use is essential if technology is to deliver lasting growth
www.irishtimes.com
January 20, 2026 at 4:35 PM
CEO of unpopular product that has failed to live up to hype begs global community to adopt it anyway or they will go out of business...
Reposted by Casey Schmitt
Applications are now invited for a new RHS programme for 2026, co-hosted with @ihr.bsky.social and @chalkefestival.bsky.social
'Pitch my Project' is for early career historians to present their research at the Chalke History Festival in June bit.ly/44kfUMM. Closing date: 6 February. #Skystorians
'Pitch my Project' is for early career historians to present their research at the Chalke History Festival in June bit.ly/44kfUMM. Closing date: 6 February. #Skystorians
Pitch my Project: an opportunity for early career historians to present their work at the Chalke History Festival 2026 - RHS
Have you ever wanted to share your research with a wide audience? Would you like to gain experience in public speaking, and be supported to develop imaginative ways to communicate your research to the...
bit.ly
January 16, 2026 at 3:05 PM
Applications are now invited for a new RHS programme for 2026, co-hosted with @ihr.bsky.social and @chalkefestival.bsky.social
'Pitch my Project' is for early career historians to present their research at the Chalke History Festival in June bit.ly/44kfUMM. Closing date: 6 February. #Skystorians
'Pitch my Project' is for early career historians to present their research at the Chalke History Festival in June bit.ly/44kfUMM. Closing date: 6 February. #Skystorians
Reposted by Casey Schmitt
What a fantastic special edition, with some top-tier scholars of monetary history! It's always worth reading @thetimeisnye.bsky.social on Ottoman Empire and Shweta Banerjee on the East India Company.
January 19, 2026 at 2:19 PM
What a fantastic special edition, with some top-tier scholars of monetary history! It's always worth reading @thetimeisnye.bsky.social on Ottoman Empire and Shweta Banerjee on the East India Company.
I wish there was an easy trick! I usually start with letters I know and build from there. That, and I keep my fingers crossed that the worm-eaten bits aren't the most important parts!
January 13, 2026 at 7:55 PM
I wish there was an easy trick! I usually start with letters I know and build from there. That, and I keep my fingers crossed that the worm-eaten bits aren't the most important parts!
Haha! Thanks for the confidence boost!
January 13, 2026 at 6:48 PM
Haha! Thanks for the confidence boost!
1540s! These midcentury documents are some of the worst.
January 13, 2026 at 5:13 PM
1540s! These midcentury documents are some of the worst.